mafiawikiaorg-20200216-history
Gambino Crime Family
The Gambino Crime Family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates and controls all of organized crime in the United States of America with an iron fist, within the nationwide, extremely powerful, organized crime empire, known as the Mafia, (The American Mafia), (The Italian-American Mafia) (American Mob),( the Mob), (Italian Mafia), (Italian Mob), (American Cosa Nostra), (Cosa Nostra) or (La Cosa Nostra). The Gambino Crime Family is the most powerful, richest, influential, successful, dominant, prominent, largest, dangerous, and feared of the "FIVE FAMILIES", and the most powerful, richest, influential, successful, largest, prominent, feared, and treacherous Crime Family in America. The Gambino Crime Family is a $10-$50 Billion a year, vast, and incredibly powerful criminal enterprise, with up to approximately 25,000-40,000 made men, and roughly 150,000-175,000 criminal associates. The FBI regards the Gambino Crime Family as a "Massive and Invincible Criminal Powerhouse", and "The Most Powerful, Largest, and Richest Crime Syndicate Of All Time", "A Vast, and Gigantic Criminal Army" and "The Biggest Crime Syndicate in History." The U.S. Federal Government considers the Gambino crime family to be "one of the most powerful, wealthiest, influential, largest, and successful criminal organization's in the World, and in history." Former Mayor of New York City, and current U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani has stated that "No criminal organization in the history of The United States Of America, and in the history of the World, has ever been able to infiltrate legitimate institution's of society, and infiltrate political institution's the way the Italian-American Mafia is able to do. The American Mafia is a billion times more powerful, successful, influential, efficient, intelligent, clever, creative, crafty, determined, resourceful, proficient, prosperous, sophisticated, treacherous, and organized than any criminal organization in history of the World. The American Mafia is also the most infamous, enduring, oldest, largest, lethal, bloodiest, vicious, ruthless, deadliest, dangerous, and feared organized crime organization in history." The FBI considers the Italian-American Mafia to be "The Most powerful and Dangerous People in history", and "The most Powerful, Influential, Efficient, and dangerous Criminal's Of All Time" The U.S. Federal Government has stated that "The American Mafia is a gigantic, vast, efficient, sophisticated, creative, skillful, clever, crafty, lethal, ruthless, vicious, brutal, deadly, universally feared, extremely dangerous, exetremely influential, extremely powerful, and highly organized, Multi-Trillion Dollar Criminal Empire. The Italian-American Mafia is a vast network of mobsters who lives by a code of crime, murder, extreme violence, brutality, ruthlessness, intimidation, domination, brute force, secrecy, silence, money, and power. The American Mafia is also a force for ruthless violence, fear, murder, Police corruption, Political corruption, Public Corruption, Government corruption, Judicial corruption, and labor union corruption. The American Mafia is mainly all about Money, Power, Murder, Violence, Brutality, Instilling Fear and Intimidation, Organized Crime, Crime, and Corruption The Italian-American Mafia has way more power, wealth, resources, manpower, control, skill, intelligence, reach, influences, political power, economic power, illegitimate power, legitimate power, expert power, coercive power, absolute power, judicial power, corruption power, police corruption power, Government corruption power, positional power, personal power, and social power, then any other criminal organization or gang in the World, and in history. For 100 years, The FBI called The American Mafia "An Invincible, Untouchable, Unstoppable, and Indestructible Organized Crime Army", and a "super power." According to the U.S. Federal Government, The American Mafia is just as intelligent, crafty, determined, resourceful, and efficient as the United States Military. The FBI considers the Italian-American Mafia to be "the most powerful, crafty, smartest, creative, successful and efficient criminals on the Planet," "professional criminals." and also considers the Italian-American Mafia to be "An endless army of cunning, fearless, highly-trained, ruthless killers." The American Mafia has thousands of hit squads, enforcement arms, off shoots, splinter groups, street gangs, and other associates, willing to do whatever the American Mafia orders them to do, such as murder, assault, battery, bombing, kidnapping, drive-by shooting, assassinations, and other criminal activities. The American Mafia has at least 100,000 Hitmen and Assassins, 10,000 Off shoots, 50,000 Hit Squads and Enforcement Arms, 3,000 Splinter Groups, 300 Street Gangs, such as, other Italian Street Gangs whom also works for the American Mafia as Enforcement Arms anD Hit Squads, some of the Italian Street Gangs are notorious gangs such as, East Harem Purple Gang, Forty-Two Gang, Greenwich Village Crew, Ozone Park Boys, 116th Street Crew, Simon City Royals, South Brooklyn Boys, The Tanglewood Boys, Lucchese crime family New Jersey Faction, and The Vario Crew working for the Italian-American Mafia as Enforcement Arms and Hit Squads. The Italian-American Mafia even has some Hispanic Criminal Organizations such as, The Mexican Mafia works with the Italian-American Mafia, but also works for them out of the enormous amount of respect and admiration that the Mexican Mafia has for the Italian-American Mafia, The Mexican Mafia is willing to do the Italian-American Mafia's dirty work and kill for them, and they are also willing to do whatever the Italian-American Mafia orders them to do, the American Mafia also uses them as muscle, contract killers, and hit-squads. According to The U.S. Federal Government, The Italian-American Mafia has the strongest grip on legitimate business, and organized crime in America. The Italian-American Mafia totally controls much of America, and thousands of major City's across the world, they control splinter groups, offshoots, hit squads, street gangs, organized crime, politics, labor unions, the teamsters, major companies, building trades, corporations, industry's, hotels, restaurants, stores, clubs, bars, stock markets, stock market manipulation, horse racing, brothels, strip clubs, meat industry's, car dealerships, illegal gambling, casinos, construction, waste management, garment industry, the ports, electrical unions, garbage hauling, music industry, cement companies, carpentry companies, vending machines, banks, trucking companies, junk yards, scrap yards, airports, prostitution, pornography, the Gasoline tax racket, skimming casinos, numbers rackets, waterfronts, the docks, real estate, housing urban development, drug trafficking, loan sharking, and many other legitimate and illegal businesses in the United States of America, and across the World. the American mafia is a $750 Billion a year, vast and incredibly powerful, organized crime empire. For 80 years, The American Mafia had roughly 150,000 made men, and approximately 500,000-600,000 criminal associates. in 110 years, the Italian-American Mafia has killed roughly 600,000 people. The Italian-American Mafia has more Police Officers, Police Detectives, Police Captains, Judges, Jurors, Lawyers, District Attorneys, U.S. Attorney's, Government Officials, Mayors, Governors, Federal Agents, such as FBI Agents, IRS Agents, DEA Agents, ATF Agents, EPA Agents, U.S. Marshals Agents, and CIA Agents, U.S. Attorney Generals, Military Officials, and Politicians such as, U.S. Senators, State Senators, representatives, Congressman, Statesman, county commissioners, legislators, Councilman, and Assemblyman, on their payroll and in their pocket then any criminal organization in the world and in history. That's what makes The Italian-American Mafia the most powerful, richest, influential, dominant, successful, largest, sophisticated, intelligent, efficient, creative, proficient, crafty, determined, cunning, bloodiest, vicious, ruthless, deadliest, dangerous, and feared, criminal organization in the world, and in history." According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency " for 100 years the Italian-American Mafia controlled much of Cuba, The Bahamas, Canada, and all of the United States of America with an iron fist, and the Italian-American Mafia was just as powerful as the U.S. Government and the United States Military, and for nearly 100 years, the American Mafia was completely invincible, unstoppable, indestructible, and untouchable, and still are in some ways." The Gambino Crime Family makes most of their money through protection rackets, corporate crimes, white-collar crimes, sex trafficking, money laundering, labor racketeering, stock market manipulation, labor unions, extortion, loan sharking, illegal gambling, skimming, skimming casinos, waste management, construction management, prostitution, pornography, truck hijacking, Gasoline tax scams, cigarette smuggling, stock fraud, front running, armed robbery, bank robbery, numbers rackets, wildlife smuggling, garment industry, cement concrete, meat industry, horse racing, garbage hauling, aircraft hijacking, bank fraud, credit card fraud, Drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, fencing, bookmaking, burglary, chop shops, and real estate, and many other organized crime, illegal and legitimate activities as well. The Gambino Crime Family controls around one thousand cities in America with an iron fist. from 1905-2006, The Italian-American Mafia controlled all of America, and many City's in Mexico, Canada and Cuba with an iron fist, as of 2006-2016 the Italian-American Mafia remains a powerful, organized crime force in America, and is still considered by the U.S. Federal Government and Law enforcement to be an organized crime powerhouse. the American Mafia are still highly active mainly in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston, Florida, Cleveland, and New Orleans. from 1905-2006, The American Mafia had a total of 200,000 made men and around 900,000 criminal associates, and tens of thousands of enforcers and hit-men. As of 2006-present The Italian-American Mafia has a total of 25,000 made men, and around 100,000 criminal associates. The American Mafia has many of brutal weapons and accessories they use in certain situation's such as bulletproof vest's, they often use high-tech weapons, and AK-47s, AK-74s, Italian machine guns, Thompson machine guns, M16 machine guns, Uzi sub machine guns, various Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, sawed-off shotguns, assault shotguns, 12 gauge shotguns, M60 machine guns, M50 Machine guns, Mini-Guns, beretta shotguns, 38. revolver's, 40. caliber pistols, magnums, Grenades, pocket knives, ice picks, baseball bats, brass knuckles, steel baton's, ball pein hammers, piano wires, nail bombs, car bombs, and many other types of guns, bombs and high-tech weapons. As of 2017, The Gambino crime family remains a powerful and highly organized criminal organization, and is still active mainly in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Jersey, Boston, and Cleveland but not as violent, vicious, ruthless, deadly, brutal, and dangerous as they were from 1905-2006, like most mafia crime families, the Gambino Crime Family are smarter, low key, secretive, and crafty then they have ever been before, and they prefer to use their brains before violence, to prevent heat from the FBI , however, the Italian-American Mafia will not hesitate to use extreme violence and murder if need be. Salvatore D'Aquila's crime family The origins of the Gambino crime family can be traced back to the D'Aguila gang of Manhattan. Salvatore D'Aquila was an influential emigrant from Palermo, Sicily who joined the Morello gang of East Harlem. Founded in the 1890s, the Morellos were the first Sicilian (or Italian) criminal gang in New York first appeared on police records for running a confidence scam. In 1910, Giuseppe Morello and his second-in-command, Ignazio Lupo, were sentenced to 30 years in prison for counterfeiting. With the Morello family weakened, D'Aquila used the opportunity to break away from them and form his own gang in East Harlem. D'Aquila quickly used his ties to other Mafia leaders in the United States to create a network of influence and connections and was soon a powerful force in New York. New York Gangs By 1910, more Italian gangs had formed in New York City. In Brooklyn, Nicola "Cola" Schiro established a gang of Sicilians from Castellammare del Golfo in Sicily. A second Sicilian gang was formed by Alfred Mineo in Brooklyn. Finally, there were two allied Neopolitan Camorra gangs, one on Coney Island and one on Navy Street, in Brooklyn that were run by Pellegrino Morano and Alessandro Vollero. In 1917, D'Aquila successfully absorbed the two Camorra gangs. A year earlier, the Camorra had assassinated Nicholas Morello, head of the Morello gang. In response, D'Aquila allied with the Morellos to fight the Camorra. In 1917, both Morano and Vollero were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. With their leadership gone, the two Camorra gangs disappeared and D'Aquila took many of their rackets in Brooklyn. Soon after, Aquila also brought in the Mineo gang, making Alfred Mineo his first lieutenant. D'Aquila now controlled the largest and most influential Italian gang in New York City. Prohibition In 1920, the United States outlawed the production and sale of alcoholic beverages (Prohibition), creating an extremely lucrative illegal racket for the New York gangs. At this time two more Mafia gangs emerged in New York City. The first gang was a break-away faction from the Morello crime family based in the Bronx; and was led by Gaetano Reina, who was formerly aligned with boss Ciro Terranova. The second gang formed in the late 1920s in Brooklyn and was led by Joe Profaci. By 1920, D'Aquila's only significant rival Giuseppe Masseria. Masseria had taken over the Morello family interests, and began to amass power and influence to rival D'Aquila by the mid 1920s. By the late 1920s, D'Aquila and Masseria were headed for a showdown. On October 10, 1928 Masseria gunmen assassinated Salvatore D'Aquila outside his home. D'Aquila's second-in-command, Alfred Mineo, and his right hand man, Steve Ferrigno, now commanded the largest and most influential Sicilian gang in New York City. On November 5, 1930, outside Ferrigno's home in the Bronx, both men were assassinated by Masseria gunmen. Masseria now controlled the Mineo gang. Castellammarese War In 1931. the Castellammarese War started between Giuseppe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, the new leader of Cola Schiro's Castellammarese gang. In April 1931, Masseria was murdered in a restaurant by several of his gang members who had defected to Maranzano. Maranzano declared himself the boss of all bosses and reorganized all the New York gangs into five crime families. Maranzano appointed Frank Scalise as head of the old D'Aquila/Mineo gang, now designated as one of New York's new five families. In September 1931, Maranzano was himself assassinated in his office by a squad of contract killers. The main beneficiary (and organizer of both hits) was Charles Luciano. Luciano kept Maranzano's five families and added a Commission a mafia "government" to mediate disputes and prevent more gang warfare by sharing power instead of one person controlling everything. Also in 1931, Luciano replaced Frank Scalise with Vincent Mangano as head of the D'Aquila/Mineo gang, now the Mangano crime family. Mangano also received a seat on the new Commission. The modern era of the Cosa Nostra had begun. The Mangano Brothers Era Vincent Mangano now became the first boss of what 26 years later would be called the Gambino family. Vincent's brother Phil Mangano also became a family leader. Vincent Mangano still believed in the Old World mob traditions of "honor," "tradition," "respect" and "dignity." However, he was somewhat more forward-looking than either Masseria and Maranzano. To compensate for loss of massive revenues with the end of Prohibition in 1933, Vincent Mangano moved his family into extortion, union racketeering, and illegal gambling operations including horse betting, running numbers and lotteries. Vincent Mangano also established the City Democratic Club, ostensibly to promote American values. In reality, the Club was as a cover for Murder, Inc., the notorious band of mainly Jewish hitmen who performed contract murders for the Cosa Nostra nationwide. The operating head of the Murder Inc. was Mangano family underboss Albert Anastasia, known as the "Lord High Executioner". Vincent Mangano also had close ties with Emil Camarda, a vice-president of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). Through the Association, Mangano and the family completely controlled the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts. From 1932 onward, the president of ILA Local 1814 was Anthony Anastasio, Albert Anastasia's younger brother (Anthony kept the original spelling of their last name). Anastasio was one of the family's biggest earners, steering millions of dollars in kickbacks and payoffs into to the Mangano coffers. Anastasio made no secret of his ties to the mob; he only had to say "my brother Albert" to get his point across. Around this time, Carlo Gambino was promoted within the Mangano family, along with another future boss, Gambino's cousin Paul Castellano. Anastasia and the Mangano brothers were usually in conflict, even though they worked together for 20 years. On numerous occasions, Albert Anastasia and Vincent Mangano came close to physical conflict. Vincent Mangano felt uncomfortable with Anastasia's close ties to Luciano and other top mobsters outside his family. Mangano was also jealous of Anastasio's strong power base in Murder Inc. and the waterfront unions. In April 1951, Phil Mangano was discovered murdered, while his brother disappeared without a trace. No one was ever charged in the Mangano brothers' deaths. However, it is generally believed that Anastasia murdered both of them. Anastasia Regime & bloody and brutal reign During Anastasia's regime he was one of the most powerful crime bosses in America, but the most violent, ruthless, deadliest, dangerous, and feared Crime Boss in America. Anastasia is considered one of the most violent, ruthless, and deadliest crime bosses in history, and one of the most murderous, dangerous, and feared Mafia bosses in American Mafia history. Anastasia was regarded amongst his associates and the FBI as fearless, warring, sadistic, stone cold, psychotic, brutal, ferocious, terrifying, fearsome, determined, bloodthirsty, and power-hungry, and considered to be a "murder machine", "homicidal maniac" and a "stone-cold, psychopathic killer" it is believed by the FBI that Anastasia killed over 8,000 people on his orders, However, it is known that Anastasia has killed around 3,000 people on his orders, and single-handedly killed around 500-700 people. Anastasia wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who stood in his way, or threatened his bloody reign as boss. Police, judges, prosecutors, FBI Agents, and civilians were no exception to Anastasia. extreme violence, brutality, ruthlessness, intimidation, murder, and torture were Anastasia's trademark. Anastasia Called to face the Commission, Anastasia refused to accept guilt for the Mangano murders. However, Anastasia did claim that Vincent Mangano had been planning to kill him. Anastasia was already running the family in Vincent Mangano's "absence," and the Commission members were planning to order a hit on Anastasia, With the support of Frank Costello, boss of the Luciano crime family, the Commission confirmed Anastasia's ascension as boss of what was now the Anastasia crime family. Carlo Gambino, a cunning man with designs on the leadership himself, maneuvered himself into position as underboss. The former boss of Murder Inc., Anastasia was a vicious murderer who inspired fear throughout the New York families and America. With Frank Costello as an ally, Anastasia came to control the Commission. Costello's bitter rival was Vito Genovese, a former underboss for Charles Luciano. Since 1946, Genovese had been scheming to remove Costello from power, but was not powerful enough to face Anastasia. Anastasia's own brutal actions soon created a favorable climate in New York for his removal. In 1952, Anastasia ordered the murder of a Brooklyn man Arnold Schuster who had aided in the capture of bank robber Willie Sutton. Anastasia did not like the fact that Schuster had helped the police. The New York families were outraged by this gratuitous killing of an innocent civilian that raised a large amount of public furor. Anastasia also alienated one of Luciano's powerful associates, Meyer Lansky by opening casinos in Cuba to compete with Lansky's. Genovese and Lansky soon recruited Carlo Gambino to the conspiracy by offering him the chance to replace Anastasia and become boss himself. In May 1957, Frank Costello escaped a Genovese-organized murder attempt with a minor injury and decided to resign as boss. However, Genovese and Gambino soon learned that Costello was conspiring with Anastasia to regain power. They decided to kill Anastasia. On October 25, 1957, several masked gunmen murdered Anastasia while he was sitting in the barber shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan. As Anastasia sat in the barber's chair, the three assailants rushed in, shoved the barber out of the way, and started shooting. The wounded Anastasia allegedly lunged at his killers, but only hit their reflections in the wall mirror. Anastasia died at the scene. Many historians believe that Gambino ordered caporegime Joseph Biondo to kill Anastasia and Biondo gave the contract to a squad of Gambino drug dealers led by Capo Stephen Armone and Steven Grammauta. Joseph Biondo was rewarded with the Underboss position. Steven Grammauta eventually became a caporegime in the 1990s. Gambino promotes the invincible crime family Vito Genovese was sent to prison for 15 years, where he died in 1969. The Gambino crime family soon became the most powerful, wealthiest, influential, largest and treacherous crime syndicate in the World. Carlo Gambino was the most powerful, wealthiest, influential, successful, intelligent, crafty, and dangerous Crime Boss in the World, and Gambino was the most powerful Mafia Boss In America. Gambino was also one of the most powerful and richest people in America. Gambino is among one of the most powerful and richest Crime Bosses in history. Gambino was regarded by the Federal Government as a "highly-intelligent, lethal, criminal mastermind" During Carlo Gambino's regime of the Gambino crime family he had more power, influences, resources, and reach than the Mayor of New York City. some considered him to have been more powerful than Law Enforcement. In 1968, Gambino's net womememmememmmemmemeambino had over 25,000 soldiers, and around 60,000 associates in his crime family at the time. For 20 years as boss, Gambino was invincible and untouchable, and controlling New York City, and dozens of other major City's in America with an iron fist. During his regime he never was convicted of any crimes, due to his immense power, wealth, influences, and reach that stretched as far as having thousands of Police Detective's and Police Officers, around 300 Judges, hundreds of Jurors, around 100 Prosecutors, Lawyer's, dozens of U.S. Attorneys, dozens of Mayors, around 200 Federal Agents, such as FBI Agents, CIA Agents, DEA Agents, EPA Agents, and IRS Agents, Government officials, and approximately 200 Politicians such as Senators and Congressman, and at least a dozen Governor's on his payroll and in his pocket. Carlo Gambino was considered by the FBI as an "invincible and untouchable mob boss." Gambino was also known as "The King of New York" with close ties to Meyer Lansky's offshore gaming houses in Cuba and the Bahamas, a lucrative business for the Mafia. The failure of Joseph Bonanno, the head of the Bonanno crime family and Gambino's top rival, to kill off Gambino and the heads of other New York crime families in the aftermath of the Bonanno War, saw Carlo Gambino become the most powerful and influential leader of the "Five Families". Gambino allegedly stretched his power and reach as far as to organize the shooting of Joseph Colombo, head of the Colombo crime family, on June 28, 1971. More likely, Colombo shooter Jerome Johnson was a lone nut attracted to Colombo for his Italian civil rights movement. Or as Michael Franzese, an informer later said, it may have been set up by rogue law enforcement, or by Carlo Gambino himself. Colombo survived the shooting but remained in a coma until his death in 1978. He was buried next to Joe Gallo. Johnson was killed by Colombo's bodyguard. In either case, Gambino's influence stretched into behind-the-scenes control of the Lucchese crime family, led by Carmine Tramunti. Gambino also allegedly influenced the selection of Frank Tieri as boss of the Genovese crime family, after the murder of Thomas Eboli, whom Gambino, allegedly, had killed over a $4 million drug debt. On October 15, 1976, Gambino died of a heart attack, and control of the family passed not to the obvious choice, Underboss Aniello Dellacroce, but to Paul Castellano, whose sister was married to Gambino. Allies of Dellacroce were thoroughly unhappy about that move, but Dellacroce himself kept his men in line, and was kept on as Castellano's Underboss. Castellano's regime The Dellacroce faction remained displeased, believing that Castellano had inherited the role rather than earning it, and considering him a "legitimate business man" rather than a Mobster, and Castellano did in fact want to be labeled as an extremely wealthy, sophisticated, legitimate business man, not a ruthless crime boss or a tough, street-wise mobster. However, Like most mafia bosses, Paul Castellano was a highly-intelligent, crafty, fearless, creative, calculating, determined, highly efficient, proficient, sophisticated, much-feared, extremely influential, extremely rich, incredibly powerful, extremely lethal, extremely dangerous, ruthless, and vicious Mafia Boss. Also like most Mafia Bosses, Castellano was a master of murder, organized crime, and corruption, and like all Mafia Bosses, Castellano was a brutal, ruthless, and vicious stone-cold killer. During Paul Castellano's regime of the Gambino crime family, he was one of the most powerful, richest, sophisticated, clever, and efficient Crime Bosses in America, he was known for being very low-key, clever, businesslike, and secretive. Castellano had a net worth of roughly $18 Billion. Paul Castellano was the "BOSS OF ALL BOSSES" during his regime. Castellano ran the crime family a very different way from the other mafia bosses run their crime family's. Due to the fact that Castellano was a very sophisticated and businesslike mafia boss, he ran the Gambino crime family more of a legitimate way, and more of a white-collar way, Castellano demanded that all of his soldiers dedicate their energy into more non-violent, and legitimate businesses, rather than their traditional organized crime activities such as extortion, loan sharking, illegal gambling, protection rackets, pornography, hijacking, prostitution, skimming, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking, which infuriated most soldiers within the Gambino crime family. However, despite Castellano wanting his crime family and businesses to be very non-violent and legitimate, Castellano did in fact order around 1,800 murders during his regime. Castellano even went as far as demanding instead of 10% or 15% from Capos, and soldiers like most mafia bosses demand, Castellano demanded 20% and on some cases even 25%. Castellano may have been hated by many, but he did retain a high degree of muscle to keep Dellacroce's allies, and other soldiers in check, including the notorious and lethal crew run by Capo Anthony Gaggi and Soldier Roy DeMeo, which was the most vicious and deadliest Mafia crew in New York, during the late 1970s to mid 1980s, and the Demeo crew is believed to have committed over 250-600 murders during Castellano's regime from the late 1970s and mid 1980s. While Castellano was still in charge, most of the family affairs were run and controlled unofficially by a ruling-panel made up of capos which included powerful Garment District leader Thomas Gambino, Manhattan Capo Vincent Corrao, Castellano's bodyguard/chauffeur and later Underboss Thomas Bilotti, and powerful Queens faction-leaders Daniel Marino and James Failla, all top rivals of John Gotti. It was not a time for the family to be embroiled in inner turmoil and argument, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation had targeted the Gambino family as the easiest of the five families to infiltrate FBI tapes obtained from a bug planted in a lamp on Castellano's kitchen table caught him discussing illegal deals with his subordinates, and by the early 1980s Castellano was up on a number of charges and faced with conviction. He let it be known that he wanted Carlo Gambino's son Thomas Gambino to take over the family should he be sent to jail, with Thomas Bilotti (Castellano's chauffeur and bodyguard) as his Underboss, which further enraged the Dellacroce faction, particularly John Gotti. In 1983, a federal indictment charged 13 members of the Gambino family with drug trafficking. This group included John Gotti's brother, Gene Gotti, and his best friend, Angelo Ruggiero, who got his nickname Quack Quack for his non-stop talking. The feds had in fact been listening in on his home phone conversations since 1980 they had Ruggiero on tape discussing family business, making drug deals, and expressing contempt for Castellano. If Castellano knew they were dealing drugs, in violation of his no-drug policy, Ruggiero would have been killed. By law, the accused were allowed transcripts of wiretap conversations to aid their defense, and Castellano demanded to be shown them, though Dellacroce did his best to put him off. Aniello Dellacroce was by this time suffering from cancer, but with Ruggiero desperate for help, his friend John Gotti stood up for him. All the same, Castellano maintained that he wanted the transcripts, or he would have Ruggiero and Gotti removed. Gotti realized he had to act fast, and the death of his mentor Dellacroce on December 2, 1985, paved the way for him to take out Castellano. John Gotti takes over On December 16, 1985, Bilotti and Castellano were heading for a meeting with capo Frank DeCicco at the Sparks Steak House on 46th Street, when they were gunned down by four Gotti Factionhttp://mafia.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Gotti_Faction members disguised as Communist Russians in the middle of rush hour. The Gambino crime family was then taken over by John Gotti. John Gotti ruled the Gambino Crime Family, and New York City with an iron fist. During Gotti's era he was the most powerful, dangerous and feared crime boss/Mafia boss in America, head of the most powerful, richest, largest, successful, influential, dangerous and feared crime syndicate in the world. During John Gotti's regime, the Gambino Crime Family was a $10-$30 Billion a year, vast criminal powerhouse, and John Gotti himself made an annual income of $35 to $50 million, and had a net worth of $300 Million. Also during Gotti's regime, he developed an army of highly-trained, ruthless killers, and dozens of ruthless hit-squads, and had tens of thousands of hitmen and criminal associates and 22,000-26,000 soldiers under Gotti's control, and it is believed that Gotti ordered 600 to 1,000 murders. under Gotti's leadership, The Gambino crime family made hundreds of Billions of dollars by construction, building trade, credit card fraud, prostitution, pornography, chop shops, Drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, gasoline tax scams, bookmaking, armed robbery, truck hijacking, fencing, cigarette smuggling, burglary, extortion, illegal gambling, loan sharking, and more. John Gotti and his invincible crime family had often bribed Cops, Judges, Jurors, Distrcit Attorneys, U.S Attorney's, Politicians, Senators, Government officials, Assemblyman, Councilman, Mayors, Governors, IRS Agents, EPA Agents, ATF Agents, DEA Agents, and even FBI Agents. John Gotti allegedly had 2 FBI organized crime task force Agents in his pocket, and they gave Gotti the tips on where to find electronic bugs inside their social clubs and elsewhere and other information regarding FBI informants and what the FBI is investigating in their organization. John Gotti's powerful reign came to a sudden and shocking end, when his right hand man, and underboss Sammy "the bull" Gravano was fearful that John Gotti would have him killed and the fact that he didn't trust him anymore, so he testified against John Gotti and other members of The Gambino crime family. After John Gotti received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for murder, conspiracy, jury tampering, extortion, and racketeering, He continued to control the Gambino crime family in prison and still remained powerful even in prison until his death in 2002 from throat cancer. Known as the "Dapper Don," Gotti was well-known for his hand-tailored Brioni suits and hand painted silk ties and his willingness to throw out sound bites to the media in a way unlike any Mafia boss before him. Unlike most of his colleagues, he made almost no effort to hide that he was a connected mobster. He appointed Frank DeCicco as his Underboss and promoted Angelo Ruggiero to Caporegime in charge of his old crew. At that time, Salvatore Gravano was allegedly elevated to Underboss. Gotti favored holding meetings while walking in public places so that surveillance equipment could pick up visual images, but not the matters being discussed. His home in Howard Beach, Queens, was frequently seen on television. One of his neighbours during that time was John Favara, who disappeared after hitting Gotti's 12-year-old son with a car while he was riding his bike, killing him instantly. Another neighbor was Gotti's dear friend and associate, Joseph "Big Joe" Massino, who was during the late 1980s recognized as the Underboss of the Bonanno crime family, and a strong candidate for leadership, for the imprisoned Boss Philip "Rusty" Rastelli. Many mob leaders disapproved of his high-profile style, particularly Genovese crime family boss Vincent Gigante, a former ally of Castellano. Ironically, Gigante had been the triggerman in the last unsanctioned hit on a Mafia boss, when he nearly killed Frank Costello in 1957. Gigante allegedly conspired with Lucchese crime family leaders Vittorio Amuso and Anthony Casso, to put out a contract on Gotti's life. On April 13, 1986, a car bomb meant for Gotti instead killed DeCicco. Eventually, Gotti's overconfidence, brash demeanor and belief that he was untouchable (he was acquitted on federal charges three times, earning the nickname the "Teflon Don") proved his undoing. The FBI had managed to bug an apartment above the Ravenite Social Club in Little Italy, where an elderly widow let mobsters hold top-level meetings. Gotti was heard planning criminal activities and complaining about his underlings. In particular, he complained about Gravano, portraying him as a "mad dog" killer. Gravano responded by turning state's evidence and testifying against Gotti. Category:Gambino Crime Family Category:Murdered Mobsters Category:Deceased